Morning journal and courier., 1887-03-17

animal in fearful manner. Kittens are of ten seen in play to take one another in their mouths and to scratch with their hind feet, and it was this plan that adopted by the cat. She fastened her claws into the bron- cho's neck, and with her sharp hind claws ripped and clawed until the animal was mass of blood and lacerated flesh, then fell among the dogs, to be torn to pieces amid protest that showed it to be among the gamest animals.
 tYou may talk about your mountain lion, ;" said an old hunter as we rode slowly up the Arroyo one early morning after the rain, with the whimpering dogs all about, 'tbut would rather take my chances with one any time than with pair of wildcats at close quarters. It just seems as if cat loses its head like. They know they're caught and they are just bound to have it out if it takes all summer. They fight worse when there is a pair, just like noun tain lion. I remember one day was out on hunt in the winter of 1877, when game was so thick here you could have it for the asking, and I never went down into the Ar royo without seeing a deer We started down where the railroad bridge is now and worked up. l, having about ten hounds, covered the track pretty well. We had had a rain a day before, and there were so many tracks that the dogs were paying in every di- rection-enough to set 8 man crazy I had one old dog that thought everything of I
 
 when it began to speak I knew there was music in the air and game too. All at once she let out up in little canon that they use now to get up on the highlands, and putting the spurs into my horse I was over there in few minutes. There she was rushing this way and that, nosing here and there, and soon there was growl and snarl and 1t seemed to me as if dozen wildcats and dogs had come together. 1 saw that the dog was in for it, so I tumbled off the horse, and with my gun club literally waded in. As is generally the case at such times, being carried away with excitement, I nearly laid nay dog out at the first blow, and before I could make another attempt one of the cats for there were two of them, flew at me and took me by the shirt just st the breast, and in a moment was in tatters and rags, after the fashion of the beggar who is supposed to have come to town. The beast had me by such firm grasp that I dropped the gun and took her in both hands and attempted to tear her off, she a-biting and clawing me all the time. Finally I got out my knife and drove it into her and she dropped, snarling and clawing and reaching for my legs until the last, type of viciousness. While had been entertaining this one the old hound had been attending to the other, and had, though fearfully torn, mastered the big cat and killed it. So we came out ahead; but when we compared notes the old dog and I were in much the same box and didn't get over it for weeks"
 Ordinarily the wildcat will sneak off when attacked and take to tree, but where two are together they will have it out, and when cornered will fight to the last, and a good big one will make short work of a hound. One of the best shots have heard of by 8 plucky woman was made up in the noun tains. The farmer was away from home, and his wife hearing commotion out in the hen or chicken corral, took a revolver and ran out. It was bright moonlight night and everything was illuminated, yet she could see nothing that looked like an enemy. Finally she entered the corral, and there in the corner where it was dark she saw a pair of gleaming, fiery eyes. She knew it was either wildcat or mountain lion and moved backward quickly, not. however, before the animal had launched itself into the air. Be- lieving itself cornered, it was preparing to make break for liberty, but she was too quick. Stepping back she fired offhand and planted bullet directly between the eyes of the wildcat-for it was one-and the big cat fell directly at her feet in it's death agony, snarling and tearing up the ground in a man ner that showed it to be animal of more than ordinary spirit. This same woman killed dozen or more rattlesnakes in her yard last spring, using common cane, and probably would be equal to bear if it came along.